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Equipment
makes or breaks a trip.
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Equipment makes or breaks a trip.
There is no substitute for being prepared for
all situations that arise in the field. During
this challenge you should not take anything
for granted. There is no such thing as a
simple hide in the woods. Everyone has the
ability (and the potential) to turn even the
simplest of trips into a disaster. Murphy ’s
Law – anything that can go wrong will. |
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Here are some important items to consider
carrying with you: |
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GPS |
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Although
there are people who seek out caches relying
on their skill with only a map and a compass,
this is decidedly a bad thing to do. Even
those with the most skill can become lost,
injured, or worse and require a quick escape.
While it's not necessary to actually use a GPS
on the hunt, it's importance as a backup
device cannot be overstated. By making you car
a waypoint, you are always assured of knowing
where you are. |
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Water |
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It's
surprising how quickly a person can start to
dehydrate. This can be avoided by taking along
some water. Hint: if your water is half gone
and you haven't found the cache yet, it's
probably a good idea to turn back and return
another day better prepared. |
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Backpack |
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A backpack is
the best way to carry all of your equipment. |
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A friend |
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Things
happen. Accidents can turn a nice afternoon
into a nightmare. Take a friend along. At the
very least - Don't go into the woods without
telling someone where you are. It's just dumb.
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Pants |
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Your bare
legs are vulnerable to all sorts of things
such as snakes, poison ivy, poison oak, and
sharp branches. Your exposure to these is
dramatically decreased simply by wearing
pants. |
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Hiking
boots |
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By providing
excellent ankle support, proper hiking boots
can go a long way in making your trip a safe
one, particularly when the terrain is rocky.
Sandals won't cut it. Boots, or shoes and
socks at the very least, are the way to go.
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A printout of
the cache you are seeking |
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A simple
printout can save you a lot of grief. Could be
you need hint as to where the cache is. With
the printout, you can decode the encrypted
clue. You can also verify the caches
coordinates, just in case you entered them
wrong. Finally, and most importantly, a
printout is evidence of your activities. Many
geocachers have been stopped by police, park
rangers, or other curious people because of
their admittedly suspicious activities. By
having documentation with you, you are almost
assured of putting their minds to ease.
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A map |
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Lets you know
where the marked trails are, rivers and
creeks. |
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Identification |
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A printout
alone probably won't be enough to calm down
those who are concerned about your activities.
Always take along your ID. |
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Spare Batteries |
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You can only
trust the battery gauge in your GPS so far.
You never know when it will show you to be at
full capacity, only to have your batteries go
completely dead in half an hour. This is
particularly true if you use rechargeable
batteries. |
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Cell phone |
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Cell phones
work practically anywhere nowadays. Bring one
along. It will be a real life-line if you get
into a jam. It's probably a good idea to make
sure it is fully charged and to keep it off
while in the woods just in case you really
need it. |
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Compass |
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What do you
do if you drop your GPS and it smashes into
several bits, it falls into a lake or river,
or it simply stops locking onto enough
satellites due to cloud cover or bad weather?
You know how to use a compass, right? Should
you find yourself GPSless, you can follow your
compass back to safety. |
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Backup GPS |
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Better safe
than sorry. By bringing a backup GPS, you'll
be sure of finding your way back in case
something happens to your primary. Be sure to
either have it on the entire time, or at
minimum mark your car as a waypoint.
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First aid kit |
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You never no
what sort of mischief might befall you. By
taking along a small but well stocked first
aid kit, you can treat those scratches and
cuts on the spot instead of allowing it to
accumulate dirt and debris as you trek back. A
simple aspirin can also do wonders to reduce
the pain of a twisted ankle. |
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Food |
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It's probably
happened to you before in a non-active
setting: you're driving home from work and you
feel sick and weak because you are hungry.
Imagine getting this feeling five miles into
the woods. By taking along some cereal bars
this can be prevented. |
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A walking stick |
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Excellent for
bushwhacking, or beating off a weirdo or wild
animal, a walking stick is a good investment.
You can get metal ones that collapses into a
fairly compact package. |
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Flashlights |
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While
especially important at dusk or night, you
never know when you'll need a flashlight: a
dark cache hole, or maybe night time just
caught up with you a bit faster than you
thought it would. |
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A whistle |
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Great for
alerting others of your whereabouts. Cheap and
small. |
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Two-way radios |
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You and your
pals may be tempted to split up in order to
find the cache as fast as possible. With a
two-way radio, you can keep tabs on each
other. |
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Camera |
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Why is it
that whenever you see something cool, you left
your camera at home? Don't let this happen to
you! |
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Toilet paper
and plastic bags |
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Toilet paper
can come in handy if Mother Nature calls while
on the hunt. The plastic bags are for carrying
out your waste. Although it doesn't sound
pleasant to carry this stuff around with you,
it can have all sorts of negative effects when
left in the wilderness. |
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Leatherman tool |
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One of those
multi-tool “Leathermans” can be used for all
sorts of unforeseeable circumstances.
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Trash bags |
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Many parks
accumulate trash from visitors very quickly.
Unfortunately, some of these visitors aren't
all that careful when they dispose of their
trash and may litter paths with it. Why not
bring along a trash bag and make an effort to
clean up some of the mess? |
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Heavy gloves |
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Sometimes you
will have to move aside prickly vines or
branches. With gloves, your hands will thank
you. They are also beneficial should you
decide to pick up other people's litter on the
way out. |
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Change of
clothes |
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So, you were
attempting to balance-beam across that log in
order to cross the creek and fell in, getting
totally soaked in the process. A change of
clothing would be great if you know you will
have to do this sort of thing. |
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Insect
repellant |
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Although
there are numerous debates as to whether or
not insect repellant is hazardous to your
health, there are times when the mosquito,
chigger, and tick population warrants its use.
If you want to play it safe, get a brand that
doesn't contain DEET. |
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Matches or
Lighter |
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It's doubtful
you will need to start a fire, but you never
know. |
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Sunscreen |
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Prevent a
nasty sunburn and bring along some sunscreen.
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Disposable
raincoat |
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You never
know when it will rain, but you'll be a lot
dryer if it does and you had the foresight to
bring along one of those clear disposable
raincoats. |
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Binoculars |
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What's that
in the distance? A bear? A weirdo? Take a
closer look through your binoculars to be
certain. |
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Spare car key |
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Should you
lock your keys in the car, or loose them while
on the hunt, a spare can save you a lot of
grief. |
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Rope |
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Rope has
thousands of applications in the field – you
can never have too much rope. |
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Spare Log Book
and Pens/Pencil/Sharpener |
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Log books get
full and need to be replaced (don't take the
original!). Also, pens dry up and pencils
break. |
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Winch (or)
comealong |
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Either of
these tools can be invaluable if your vehicle
gets stuck in the woods or a puddle. If you do
not have a winch that can attach to your
vehicle consider getting a comealong. They are
reasonably cheap and worth every penny in a
jam. |
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Canoe (or)
Kayak |
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Sometimes a
canoe is the only way to reach a location.
Consider taking one with you at all times but
make sure that you have a way of securing it
to your vehicle when you leave it behind. |
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Hip-waders / Chest-waders |
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Many times a
canoe or kayak are simply overkill – waders
can fit in a backpack and keep you dry when
you need to cross small streams or water
areas. |
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Mountain Bikes |
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Many trails
are not accessible by motorized vehicle –
consider taking mountain bikes with you for
just such an occurrence. If a puddle too deep
for your vehicle hinders your path you can
always jump on the bikes and continue on your
way. |
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Misc. Tools |
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Ax, shovel &
hammer are all valuable tools to throw in your
trunk (or truck) before heading out into the
woods. |
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Reflective Vest
/ Orange Hunting Vest |
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It is always
advisable to make sure that you are visible
both during the day and night to others
(especially hunters). Reflective or Orange
vests can easily be carried in a backpack. |
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Emergency
Blanket & supplies |
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Anything that
can go wrong will. |
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Murphy's Law |
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